The Salty Tang of Blood
by Hraap
Summary: Late night meetings with the Varia go something like this: "You know, most people come up to my door, knock and say, 'this person would like to meet with you.' They don't climb up to my window, pick the lock, and then carry me out over their shoulder like a bag of potatoes." And that's even before the captured assassins out for his blood or the power plays come into it.


_The Salty Tang of Blood (Sensations Running Hot)_

 **Summary:** Late night meetings with the Varia go something like this:

"You know, most people come up to my door, knock and say, 'this person would like to meet with you.' They don't climb up to my window, pick the lock, and then carry me out over their shoulder like a bag of potatoes."

And that's even before the captured assassins out for his blood or the power plays come into it.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"You know, most people come up to my door, knock and say, 'this person would like to meet with you.' They don't climb up to my window, pick the lock, and then carry me out over their shoulder like a bag of potatoes."

Squalo rolls his eyes. He knows the fuss Sawada puts up is cursory, simply because his tutor would most likely kill him if he didn't make _some_ kind of effort to save himself. Also because the Old Man still thinks the Varia and Sawada are at war, despite the fact that Xanxus and Sawada hashed their shit out a while back.

"I'm Varia, brat. I don't take the easy method."

"I'll say. You could have saved yourself twenty-five minutes and a countless amount of energy and strain if you'd just _walked to my door_ like everyone else." He can feel Sawada's glare against his spine. "Do you even remember that you've got a false heart now instead of the real one?"

He scowls, not that Sawada can see it. "Fuck off, brat. I don't need your pity."

It's not pity though. It's never pity with Sawada. It's part of the Thing he and Xanxus have hashed out. He was there when Sawada, after a screaming match with Xanxus about _pity,_ slammed his hands down and towered over the man while he roared, " _It's not_ _ **pity,**_ _you dumb fuck! You're all_ _ **my men,**_ _you get that? You belong to_ _ **me!**_ _And until I tell you to, I don't want a single one of you fuckers dropping dead on me! You're my people, you'll do as I say!"_

And then he'd Flared his Flames and brought his Will down hard enough to leave Xanxus on his knees, breathless, and looking about four seconds away from either coming in his pants or Harmonizing with the kid. Not like any of Xanxus' men had been better, but still.

Italy's been good to the kid. Put a lot of steel in his spine, and put a lot of the reservations he had about showing who the biggest badass in the room is away to rest for good. Reborn's been nothing but proud, even if he still likes slapping the kid around like the good old days.

There's a sigh against his ear. "Please look after yourself, Superbi."

"Yeah, yeah."

As soon as they're close to the ground, he drops Sawada. The kid lands nimbly on his feet, like he always does, and scrunches his toes in the grass as he waits for Superbi to jump down as well. Then waits a couple beats more in a fake zone-out as he waits for the man to catch his breath. Squalo has his dignity, after all.

"Right." He says at last, clasping his hands together and smiling beatifically at him. "Where to tonight?"

"The warehouses in Florence," Squalo says, and relishes the way the kid's eyes narrow, going from brown to molten in a heartbeat. Relishes the shiver that caresses his spine like a lover's hand as the kid's Will drapes itself over him like a cloak. God, Italy's been good to their baby boss.

"Hm. I suppose a confrontation was inevitable. Lead on then, and let's get this over with. I imagine your boss is as keen to dispose of them as I am to get back into bed and forget this whole mess."

The rest of the Varia are already there, so Squalo brought the bike. He hands a helmet to Tsunayoshi and waits for the boy to get comfortable, and then guns it. Within minutes they're racing down the highway, the warmth of Tsunayoshi's body against his back its own kind of comfort.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Xanxus feels the whisper of Will and Flame long before baby boss even gets close to the warehouse, and given the quiet sighs that echo behind him from his Lieutenants, they feel it too. They've got twenty-one men tied up with chains made from Mammon's Mist here, almost all of them men from the Ferullo. Two are from Vetrone's side of things, but Xanxus has no doubts once the Ferullo have been dealt with, the Vetrone will be next on the chopping block. Baby boss, for all his naivety at times, doesn't like to leave a job unfinished.

A moment after that thought crosses his mind, there's an undeniable thrum in the air signaling Sawada's arrival, the faint taste of Rain Flames surging around the whirlwind of heat and power coming their way telling him Squalo is still with him.

How that boy can contain so much raw power in such a small body is beyond any of them, but he looks gorgeous when he strides through the doors, eyes already burning and brow alight with a crown of Sky Flame. You wouldn't think a five-foot man dressed in nothing but dark blue boxers with stars on them and a borrowed shirt could possibly be intimidating, but you'd be wrong.

Squalo looks a bit flushed, which is understandable given he's had the whole ride over to be burrowed in those potent Flames. Xanxus has tasted them before, felt their unyielding grip on his body and he knows just how badly it can rob men of their inhibitions to do something truly wicked to the one currently making his way across the floor. Sawada Tsunayoshi looks good under the mantle of leadership, and age has only continued to aid him in that regard, as he grows more familiar with the comings and goings.

Tsunayoshi looks at directly at him then, and Xanxus reminds himself he is Varia, and he yields to no one, and that includes the man who looks at him so tenderly, and yet manages to convey a great deal of respect at the same time. "Xanxus, what do you have for me?"

"The Ferullo were apparently planning to bomb this whole block and make it look like you did it when the police came knocking." Getting the explosives out had been a _bitch,_ and not simply because he only had about three men capable of wiggling into the tighter spots. "The Vetrone fucks were just here to watch and eat popcorn from the sounds of it, but their boss knew about the plan and didn't try to talk sense into them, so I'm guessing they got something out of this too if it actually _worked."_

Which it wouldn't have, in all honesty. Because Sawada's a mafia boss yes, but he's done his damnedest to show the police forces he's an honest one with no intentions of harming others. It's worked a hell of a lot better than most would assume, especially given all the problems he's had to work through over these last few years. But he's gotten them to the point where the police don't automatically suspect their Family for doing stupid shit, where the police captains actually _ask_ Sawada before presuming.

If someone had told him ten years ago he was going to be following a man like Sawada, he probably would have killed them and had their body mounted in the foyer as a show of what happened when you said stupid shit. But now, the idea of Sawada making people bend knee to him is so regular an occurrence its positively _normal._

Sawada's eyes narrow just a fraction, his gaze traveling down to the man nearest him, who begins trembling as he realizes just who he's dealing with. "I see. That _is_ unfortunate. I see to recall we worked through negotiations with the Ferullo to _stop_ this kind of behavior. A peace treaty of sorts." He looks to Lussuria. "I also recall asking for your help crafting those negotiations. Tell me, am I imagining things, or did that actually happen?"

Before Lussuria can say anything however, one of the men tied to the first idiot Sawada laid eyes on speaks up. "Boss doesn't want your _peace,_ Vongola! You're a weakness!"

Xanxus hears several of his men suck air. Squalo looks like he's contemplating hacking off body parts. He leans back in his chair, and decides to let baby boss be the one to curb stomp all these little pricks.

Tsunayoshi raises an eyebrow, turning his attention to the one who spoke. "Am I, now. I wasn't aware of that fact. And tell me now, who are you again?"

The man spits at Tsuna's feet, and very nearly gets shot for it. "None of your business, filth. You think because you've got a few loyal dogs panting at your feet you're hot shit? You're _nothing."_

"Well, thank you for that third party opinion, but if I was taking remarks from the peanut gallery, I'd have asked for them. Furthermore, I don't know about you, but any man who owns as many people as I do - and yes, I _do_ own them, they are mine, my men, my people – isn't 'nothing'. Let's count off who's pledged to me. I have the Varia, Vongola, CEDEF, Cavallone, the former Arcobaleno, Giglio Nero, Millefiore, Shimon, Tomaso, Bovino, Trad 6, Lei, Difo, Beccio, Nuevo, and the Bertesca." He counts each on his fingertips as he goes, and then drops his hands when finished.

"And that's even before we get into Russia, China, and all those other places you've sent agents to," Xanxus supplies helpfully. "I'm pretty sure you've got several minor principalities under your belt over in Russia, and the Chinese Triads are willing to kill anyone who so much sneezes wrong in your general vicinity. So, you know."

"And that still doesn't count all the minor families and individuals that have fallen into my service over the years, either by unfortunate circumstances or by choice. So maybe reconsider your words just now. I own the hearts and loyalty of a very good portion of Italy's bosses and leaders. The Ferullo and Vetrone are hardly slouches, but you're surrounded by _my_ allies on at least two of your four sides. Tell me, how quickly do you think it would get around if you'd actually managed to get away with this that it was you who did it? How quick do you think your destruction would be? Because in a race to see who would get to you first, I guarantee the Trad 6 would win. And they're not known for letting traitors go quickly. Especially traitors who establish peace treaties and then _break them_ because they don't have the fucking balls to come after my head like the rest of the assassins have."

"Easy, boss," Squalo murmurs. It takes Xanxus a second to realize he's leaning forward in his chair, intent with his hand wrapped around his gun. He forces himself to breathe and lean back, because otherwise he's going to end up shooting these chucklefucks before Tsuna can put the fear of God into them.

Not that he's very far from doing that. A lot of the faces are pale as they realize just how far into 'bad' they've stepped. Tsuna's next words drives the final nail into the coffin. "And that still doesn't account for the fact that the Vindice themselves like me well enough to pop by for the occasional afternoon tea and chit-chat-"

There's a lot of whimpering and pissing at that, because the idea of Bermuda and his army of dark shadows _liking_ anybody is terrifying all by itself. But afternoon tea and talks? Yeah, if Xanxus were one of those guys right now, he'd probably piss himself too.

Tsuna smiles blandly at the man who started the shit talking. "You get my point? Your boss is the one who isn't shit. I'm the one with a veritable fucking _army_ backing me." He runs his hands through his hair in a frustrated motion. It only serves to make him look more handsome. "Normally I'd have Xanxus kill you all and send your heads back to your boss in a box as a warning of what's coming. But after all the shit I've had to deal with lately, I'm just really _not_ in the mood to go through all that effort for something that at this point, shouldn't even need to happen."

He looks up at Xanxus, who can already tell what he wants simply by his eyes. He rises and walks forward, dropping to a knee before his boss and waiting for the order that always comes.

"Xanxus di Vongola, leader of Varia, I, Vongola Decimo do hereby give these orders to you and yours: I want the extermination of _famiglia_ Ferullo and _famiglia_ Vertone. I want no survivors. If there are children, I want your Mists to erase their former identities, and bring them back to me. Do you understand these orders?"

"Yes," the word tears itself from his throat in a growl. He can feel his Varia coming alive around them, their desire for bloodshed unmatched. Before their emperor, their _god,_ they are unstoppable.

Sawada crouches before him, and his next words are muffled beneath the eager movements around them. He touches Xanxus' face in a gesture so tender it steals his breath from his lungs, makes every cell feel like it's on fire inside him. "And I want you all to come back to me safely. Don't die on me, Xanxus."

"Never," he whispers, and rises, as does Sawada. Sawada turns on heel and heads back for the bike, Squalo shadowing him. He'll ensure Tsunayoshi makes it back to the Estate safely before flying back to Xanxus' side to begin the carnage. "You heard our boss. The hell are you all waiting for?"

The screams of the Ferullo and Vertone as the Varia descend on them are music to his ears, an accompaniment to the way his own blood is singing, ready to make war. All for the sake of the man who holds them so securely, who guards them all, a Sky among Skies.

All for a man who was once a boy Xanxus hated, and never thought he'd ever come to respect.

And oh, how wrong he was.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Sky Attraction is a powerful force. It can't be stopped. It can't be slowed down, or even briefly paused. Sky Attraction, once in effect, will continue on until either Harmonization or Balancing occurs, and _only_ once one or the other happens. Ever since he took over the mantle, Tsuna has been trying to come to terms with the fact that most of the people he meets - whether as friends or as allies - are inevitably brought under his sway due to Sky Attraction, and that at this point, it's far rarer for someone _not_ to seek him out.

" _Some Skies are simply like that, like you,"_ Shamal had told him, when at nineteen he'd charged into his office and shrilly demanded to know why his Guardians were so territorial, and why just that morning Reborn had attempted to pin him to the bed and do so rather (at the time) unsavory things to him. " _You've got this magnetic pull, and it drags everyone who's eligible along. You can fight it if you want, but it's going to keep happening."_

" _Yes, but_ _ **why?!**_ _"_ Tsuna had wailed, clutching his hair like he hadn't done in years. " _Why_ _ **me?"**_

" _Because you're a good man, and a better Sky, and you want to make the world around you better for everyone. It's not the end of the world, Vongola. If you don't want people in your bed, say so, but don't try to push back against the Attraction, because they'll think you're playing coy or want to be chased."_

" _ **HOW?!"**_

" _Because that's what Skies do. They flutter, they tease, they draw. A proper Guardian is one who has to work for their position, not have it handed to them. They_ _ **want**_ _you to fight them, because they want you to show them that they're worthy of your attention. Just… try, okay? Try it with Reborn if you don't believe me."_

And he had. He'd told Reborn firmly (still quivering) he didn't want him in his bed. And Reborn had stepped back and obeyed. But the next time Reborn had pressed a little too close, Tsuna had grabbed hold of whatever boldness was inside him and deliberately stepped away, striding towards the opposite end of the room. He'd glanced back, once, and found Reborn's eyes tracking him, burning with resolve, a smirk on his features.

Reborn, he'd realized that night as he'd laid awake in something like a near-panic, had _wanted_ that. To make him step away. To make him run. But Tsuna wasn't giving him the satisfaction of a quick hunt, instead was moving it to a slow dance, and Reborn was responding.

That level of power over people was… heady, to put it simply. Tsuna, after that, had been more careful in watching who approached him, and how they approached. It hadn't taken him long to see what Shamal meant. People - the closest around him, namely, were all in this giant web of Sky Attraction, watching him, waiting for his every move, and responding in this large, interconnected dance.

Xanxus had been the first time he'd really just… let go. Stopped trying to fight it and let it _happen._ Even as he'd yelled at Xanxus, trying desperately to make him understand that he cared about him and his men, that he didn't want to see their corpses in fucking _coffins,_ that little voice inside him had whispered _let go, let go, let go._

And he had, and for a few flat seconds there he'd honestly thought Xanxus was about to lunge for him and fuck him into the wall. That his first real sexual experience would be some kind of mad orgy with the Varia because Tsuna had crossed some invisible line he hadn't meant to. But Xanxus hadn't lunged for him, and the Varia hadn't gone after him. but instead had almost… settled beneath his grip. Had accepted him and his flare of power, had accepted that he was strong enough, _worthy_ enough to hold them all.

That had been the moment that had opened his eyes, and made him realize he'd been backing away when he should have been moving _forward._ It had been almost easy after that, to simply go after what he wanted, to press his Will against their and tuck them beneath his power, make them his. If his younger self could see what he's become, a king that collects people, he'd probably be horrified.

But as Squalo approaches the Estate and Tsuna sees Hibari and Gokudera outside waiting for him, he can't bring himself to regret what he's done. That he's brought so many people to their knees, let them get this close.

"Boss," Hayato sighs, breath coming out as mist in the early morning air. "You didn't leave a note."

Kyouya looks faintly displeased. "Flying the nest without alerting the sentries. Typical little bird."

"Aha, it was a last-minute emergency. It couldn't wait. Forgive me." He bows, more of habit than a genuine askance for forgiveness, at least this time. He hears Hayato sigh again, and when he straightens both of his Guardians are reaching for him. "Training rooms?" he asks.

"Bed," Kyouya responds, already dragging him off as Hayato deals with Squalo. "You kept us waiting. We were worried."

"I really am sorry." About this, at least. He doesn't like making his people worry. And while over the years his Guardians have become much more inclined to let him fly free when he needs it, they're still his Guardians. They worry if he sudden poofs without _some_ sort of indication. "Squalo snuck me out through the window."

"Lambo heard you take off," Kyouya says. "That's the only reason Takeshi isn't out there ready to lop your shark's head off."

 _Rains and their territory. I swear, worse than Clouds some days._ "I'll have to make it up to him, then."

Kyouya hums, a small smile coming to the fore. "You will." He reaches the office, and beyond, Tsuna's bedroom, without issue. The room is still dark when he opens the door, but Tsuna can already feel the tell-tale heat of eyes on him. "The little bird has come home to roost. You can relax, swordsman."

Hands reach out of the dark to pull him close as soon as he's near enough to the bed. "Tsuna," Takeshi murmurs, rolling him over. He ends up on his back, trapped between Ryohei and Takeshi. Ryohei doesn't look any happier than Takeshi. "Please be more careful. We've discussed this."

"Last minute emergency, Takeshi. I wouldn't have gone if I didn't need to."

"What happened?" Hayato asks, coming into the room and kicking the door shut behind him. The only light in the room fades, and there's a shuffle of cloth that speaks of clothes being divested from bodies. "You were gone a while, Tsuna. Where did you go?"

"Florence. It seems the Ferullo and the Vertone decided to try to get me in trouble."

"The Ferullo broke their word?"

"Mmhm. Xanxus brought the men to me. I passed judgment. As we speak, the Varia will be bringing the Ferullo and Vertone families to their final days."

There's a rush of warm breath against the back of his neck. "You could have called the Vindice."

"I could have. I imagine I'll get a visit from Bermuda shortly as he comes to tell me the exact same thing."

He sighs as warm bodies press against him. His Guardians always seem to run so hot, while he himself is never content with the heat he has. Blankets aren't enough - it has to be skin contact too, which leads him to believe this is another part of the Sky Attraction, except on his end.

"Cold?" Hayato asks, feeling his shiver. A firm body presses against his back, another against his front, hands and arms laying themselves over him. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you," he nuzzles into Kyouya's chest, feels the rumble of laughter. "No idea when Xanxus will be back. Probably only gonna take a little bit." A yawn escapes him, and it finally comes to his attention that Squalo pulled him out of bed at nearly three in the morning. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven. By all accounts, we should be getting you up, boss." Hands card their way through his hair, and he dissolves into a puddle of goo. Hayato's always so good with his hands, and he always seems to know just how to touch to make his boss melt. "I'm kind of tempted, to be honest."

"You could. Just do it before I fall back asleep. Although-" he yawns again, this one nearly feeling like it's cracking his jaw. "-at the rate I'm going, that won't be long."

"You should probably stop petting him," Lambo says, sounding amused. "He gets sleepy when you pet him."

Mukuro's laughing at him - he can feel the bed shaking. "But he's so soft," Chrome puts in her two cents. "How can you _not_ pet him?"

"Point," Lambo admits. He reaches over and begins to do the same thing. By this point Tsuna's more than half asleep, ready to drop. His Guardians probably know that, because they begin to murmur to each other. With how tired he is and how good their petting feels, it's hard for him to zone in long enough to hear what they're saying.

Oh well. He trusts them not to plot to kill him in his sleep. He lets himself drift off, knowing in a few hours they'll have to wake him up.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Boss," a voice calls, drawing him into the waking world. "Reborn is here to see you."

He yawns, shoving himself up from the bed. "M'up, I'm up," he says, yawning again. He's still dressed - which is good - so he smiles at Chrome as he stumbles through the door leading to his office. His Guardians are there, as is Reborn - and he looks vaguely irritated.

"What's this I hear about you running off _again_ , Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn demands, the picture of lazy lethality all sprawled out over Tsuna's couch. "And with the Varia no less?"

He yawns again, and then shakes the sleepiness off. "You know, I really wish you'd stop treating them like their kidnapping of me is some mortal offense. They're my people, Reborn, they won't hurt me."

"That is not the point, and you know it."

"Oh I'm sorry, let me skip right to the point then, I don't give two flying figs if I hurt Timoteo's precious feelings because he thinks his son is some kind of demon out for my blood. There."

" _Merda,"_ Hayato mutters.

"Remind me again how you're not dead," Reborn says, rubbing his temples. It's a ruse - Tsuna can't taste peppermint on the back of his tongue, which is a sure giveaway Reborn's genuinely ticked.

"Because you trained me, and I learned tact and subtlety from the best."

"That was neither tactful _nor_ subtle, Tsuna."

"I know." He smiles widely. "I've stopped caring what people think in regards to Xanxus, because it seems like no matter how often I say _he will not hurt me_ nobody ever listens. So I'm just going to do what needs doing, and if people are upset, oh well."

Reborn stares at him for a moment, then chuckles. "Should have known you'd be that way. You didn't care what they said when _I_ became your adviser, after all."

"Still don't." Because the old men are _still_ whining about that, how he'd chosen the former Sun Arcobaleno as his adviser when _Basil_ was there, and how he'd put Basil under Takeshi's command. Where he's actually started learning _proper_ because Takeshi might be friendly and easygoing, but he's also got a burning hatred for all things Iemitsu and high expectations for his squad.

Over the last three years Takeshi has had the daunting task of undoing every bit of education Iemitsu has fed Basil, and Basil has the daunting task of _not_ reverting to it, but accepting that the man he'd pegged as a father figure is extremely flawed, biased, and unreliable, and just because he hasn't seen the side that Tsuna has doesn't mean he _isn't_ those things. The best manipulators know how to act in front of different people, after all.

There are still days when Basil digs in his heels, still days when Takeshi loses his temper and has to go slice up some training dummies, but they're getting better at it. Basil's been making progress; he's speaking like a regular person for one, and he's not nearly as quick to bow and scrape. They've still got a long way to go, but Tsuna doesn't doubt they'll make it, and be all the stronger for it.

Of course, Timoteo's generation saw it as an insult. Him casting aside a _perfectly reasonable_ candidate and tossing the man who'd served Timoteo so faithfully out on his head. Nobody understood _why_ he did these things, no more than they understood why he let Xanxus and his Varia so close, why he believed it when Xanxus knelt and kissed his ring, when he pledged loyalty. But those old men also understood they were on their way out, that Tsuna's generation was already beginning to capitalize on their new positions and make the most of their power - they were gathering allies, making connections, cutting down enemies, running the business.

In an essence, even without the official ceremony, Tsunayoshi Sawada was already Vongola Decimo to a great many people. He was already a leader, already a man, despite the fact that Timoteo was still holding office, still the acting leader of Vongola. The allies of Vongola still paid tribute to Timoteo when the parties and balls happened, still looked to him when meetings occurred, but now they looked to Tsuna as well, paid tribute and kissed his ring as easily as they kissed Timoteo's. In a sense, there were two kings ruling Vongola.

Timoteo knew it, too. He saw the way, after he was done speaking, all eyes moved to Tsuna. The way Tsuna held himself and people responded. He saw, and he acknowledged. But that didn't mean the old man wouldn't go out without attempting to change Tsuna's mind about some things. Like his adopted son.

 _That's fine,_ Tsuna thinks as he gets dressed. _Let him fight me. Let him believe Xanxus doesn't - can't - bend his knee in loyalty to me. I know the truth and Xanxus knows the truth and those that matter know the truth, and that's all that matters._

"So," he returns to the room, dressed and ready for the day. "What's on today's agenda?"

"You getting scolded." Reborn stands, brushes a bit of lint off his knee. "Timoteo caught wind of last night's little meeting, and your orders. The Ferullo fell this morning. They sent out a distress call this morning, demanding you be brought before the Vindice for breaking the treaty."

"Is Bermuda here?"

"Does a leopard have spots?"

"There's no need to sass, Reborn, I was only asking. Sometimes he prefers to wait for a more dramatic entrance."

"Not where you're concerned. I don't know what you said to Xanxus last night when you met, but you lit one hell of a fire under his tail. Him and his Varia were moving onto the Vertone before the message even finished getting through to Timoteo. And Timoteo can't reach them to call them off."

Tsuna can't help but smile softly as he remembers the feeling of Xanxus shivering in the grip of his Will last night. A rare show of obedience, uncomplicated and beautiful. He doesn't know when he's become so greedy for Xanxus' shows of obedience, but he should probably stop before he gets in trouble.

Timoteo's on his feet even as Tsuna walks into his office. "Call them off," he demands, and his Flame chokes the room. Tsuna sucks in a lungful of air and _ignites,_ feeling his Will rise to combat Timoteo's own challenge. Bermuda stands off to the side with Jager, patiently watching the confrontation play out. Iemitsu stands behind Timoteo with his Guardians, and Reborn remains at the door, watching as the Skies clash.

"No, I will _not._ The Ferullo broke oath-"

" _You_ were the one who-"

"They broke _oath!"_ Tsuna snaps, and his Will _roars,_ Timoteo hissing out a breath as their Flames scrape and burn each other. "I went there last night with Squalo, and do you know what I found? An attempt to bomb over a dozen warehouses and pin the blame on me, on _Vongola._ They were the ones who broke oath, and I gave the order. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn whether you believe me about Xanxus right now, but he is _mine,_ and I will not allow you to interfere because you believe a _coward_ over your own heir!"

Timoteo is still furious, his Flames still burning the room. Their Wills are pressing so close they've very nearly Scorching each other, but it's a risk Tsuna is willing to take if it means he can finally make the old man _see._

"You should have spoken to me first," Timoteo says at last, and it _grates_ against Tsuna's nerves, that this man still treats him like a boy at his knee. "I would have-"

"Done nothing. Let them off the hook. You constantly accused me of being too soft in my youth, and yet now _you_ of all people dare to let those who would threaten my Family-"

"Our Family-"

" _Mine,"_ Tsuna snarls, and this time there is no mistaking his weight behind the words. "This Family and its people are _mine._ They have been mine since you brought me here, to the heart of them and told me _they are yours to protect._ Don't you dare try to push the blame on me but take my people for yourself."

Timoteo's face goes white, pinched with something that looks like fear. "How many?" he demands.

Tsuna's smile is all teeth. "Every last one of them."

And here it is, the moment Timoteo truly _feels_ the way the family has shifted without him, the way Tsuna has so neatly brought them all under his wing, and secured them as his own. Timoteo kept a loose watch on them all, barely more than a glance every couple of years - he has no right to be surprised when Tsuna tucks them away and flees into the night with those he wants.

He can feel Reborn's Flames heavy and satisfied with the claiming behind him. After years of not having a Sky, he's been one of the pushiest in his pursuit. To complement that however, his honesty is without question whenever Tsuna asks for it.

Timoteo leans back, the fear receding back alongside his Flames and Will. "I see," he says at last, accepting. "Very nicely done, my boy. Very nicely. I trust I don't have to tell you to take care of them, or this Family."

Tsuna shakes his head. "I've been doing so for three years already, grandfather. Things are well in hand."

"Nothing for it, then. We'll have the coronation sometime next month, so we can finish this up for good."

Iemitsu starts to say something, probably some minor outcry against the idea of Tsuna taking over the Family, but Timoteo shakes his head and motions for silence. "No, Iemitsu. I saw the signs, but still elected to ignore what they meant because I wanted to believe I still had time. These last three years have been a farce for me, nothing more. It's time to hand the crown over, and go into retirement."

From his Guardians, there are no complaints. A telling sign, Tsuna thinks. But now at last he can take the weight of this kingdom on to his own shoulders, and Timoteo can move on with his life.

"So, am I to understand that the Ferullo and the Vertone were the ones we should be looking at?" Bermuda asks.

"Correct. If you want, I can have Mukuro give you the memory of last night, from both myself and Xanxus' perspective."

"I would appreciate that."

Mukuro is slightly miffed to be in the presence of his once captors again, but he gracefully takes the raw version of the memory from Tsuna's head and gives it to the Vindice before shifting away again in a swirl of smoke. Not long after that, Bermuda and his men take their leave, and Timoteo shoos his Guardians and Iemitsu from the room. Reborn shifts out of the doorway, but remains just outside the door, a casual reminder Tsuna has someone at his back.

Then they're alone, him and the old man. Timoteo looks his age now, tired and worn as if from a long journey. "I apologize, Tsunayoshi," he begins. "For all of this." He rubs a hand over his face. Were Tsuna not aware of how very manipulative mafia men could be, he might actually believe Timoteo. As it is, he doesn't.

"You're not sorry you hurt me. You're not sorry you dragged this out. You're _sorry_ in so much as you've been pinned and made to realize you don't have any time left. You're outmatched, Timoteo, and you have been for a while. If you had things your way, I'd still be dancing to your tune, playing the Prince but never the King."

Timoteo smiles humorlessly at him. "Old habits die hard, my boy."

"For once, you're being honest. Go with grace, Timoteo, that's all I ask. Stop fighting me, because after today I'm going to assume any interference on your part is a threat against me and mine, and you _know_ how I respond to threats."

Reborn, and then later Xanxus, have spent years carving violence into him. It's taken time, but he's finally capable of cradling his family with one hand while he brutally destroys the opposition with the other. Balance is key in the mafia, especially among the leaders, and Tsuna has found his balance.

Timoteo sighs, put off but not to be outmatched. "I'm aware, Tsunayoshi. I think my Guardians are much in your side of the corner this time. Even Coyote's been making noises about simply handling you the mantle and, as he so eloquently put it, 'fucking off to somewhere sunnier and less prone to mass waves of death'".

Tsuna snorts. He can't help it. "So, are you ready to see reason?"

"No, but I will for the sake of everyone's increasingly dwindling patience. You'll have your crown and kingdom by the end of next month, my boy, I guarantee it."

"Good." He strides forward before Timoteo can realize what he's doing, and one last time, kneels before his elder Sky. He kisses the Ring, and looks up at Timoteo, who has gone still in shock. "For old times' sake. And for what it's worth, while you were king, you were good. Not perfect, but good. The Family will continue on, and someday when it suits me I may pop out one or two sprogs for you to spoil rotten."

The smile Timoteo gives then is all him, no deceptions, no manipulations. Simply Timoteo the old man, not Vongola Nono. "I would like that, my boy. Very much so."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Inevitably, word of the Ferullo and Vertone's fall at the hands of the Varia gets around, as juicy gossip tends to do. Tsuna knows about it because at the next Allies meeting, Dino pulls him aside. "Hey, not to alarm you or anything, but there's a rumor that you sent the Varia off to destroy _famiglia_ Ferullo and _famiglia_ Vertone."

"It's true." He meets Dino's shocked gaze evenly. "They broke oath, Dino, and if it hadn't been for Xanxus and his men finding them at the warehouses in Florence, I'd probably be locked up right now."

" _Merda,"_ Dino says, and then wraps Tsuna in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay, little brother. You're okay, right?"

"Perfectly fine. Once the Varia finish up I'll be even better." He pulls back, Dino seemingly reluctant to let go. "And thank you for trusting me on Xanxus."

"Hey, if you say he's on your side, he's on your side. You've never had a reason to lie to me before, Tsuna." He runs a hand through his hair. "Oh! Elena sends her regards, by the way."

"You just now remembered to mention your wife to me. Really?"

Dino flushes. "Yeah well, business before pleasure, you know how it is."

"I do. Tell your lovely wife I send my regards in turn. Is she participating in the bake sale this year?"

"She is. You gonna challenge her again? You know you never win."

Elena Viviani joined the Cavallone family in an arranged marriage, but she and Dino surprised everyone by getting along like a house on fire. Over the past six years they've been married she's continued to show the mafia world that she's not some meek little housewife puttering around behind her husband's back. She takes an active part in his job, as the Viviani family have long been makers of rather infamous black widow women.

Elena thankfully doesn't have a taste for that kind of action, but she's just as capable of being _Dino's_ black widow, gracefully dropped into a party and told who to pick off in a discreet manner. When she's not off murdering people, she enjoys cooking and baking - a hobby she and her two brothers used to get into competitions over. Over the years, she's perfected her craft to nearly match that of her assassin skills, and now reigns supreme over any and all cooking or baking sales in Italy.

Tsuna knows he won't ever win against her, but it's the thrill of the challenge that he's after, not the win itself. Besides, Elena likes his spark, and always enjoys stealing a portion of his spoils for herself. Dino usually acts like a completely besotted idiot and hugs them both when it's all over. Tsuna knows he's ridiculously happy and relieved that his two favorite people in the world are getting along just as well as he and his wife do, and can't stop showing it every moment he sees them together.

Tsuna shrugs. "It's fun, and it's a great time-killer. Plus, everyone benefits. Who doesn't like free food?"

"True. Ah, they're ready. C'mon, we should get back."

The meeting goes well; besides the confirmation that the Varia had moved on his orders, there's the additional news about an increase in business. Several black market stalls that had been marketing the sale of human wares had been brought down thanks to an "anonymous tip off", and with those gone, people were breathing easier, and shops were flourishing. The police were also happy, given that they'd finally caught the flesh traders they'd been hunting for a very long time.

"The captain didn't know who to thank," Enma tells him, "But he asked me to pass his thanks on to the rest of you for keeping the cities safe from those kinds of demons."

"It's nice to be recognized," the Difo representative, Edgar, sighs. "Every time I don't think life can get any better, it does. You're magnificent, Boss."

Tsuna waves the compliment aside. "I did nothing. At least not this time. Enma?"

"Not me. Dino?"

"Nope."

"Well whoever called it, good job," Tsuna says.

"I bet it was Byakuran," Enma points out. "He's still out sick, but he would have been in that area, wouldn't he?"

"He hates flesh traders nearly as much as Xanxus does," Dino says. He looks at Tsuna. "So, pin it on him?"

That gets a couple of chuckles out of the group. "Why not," Tsuna agrees, amused. "It'll throw him off his game whenever he gets back to us. He'll think we're plotting and spend the rest of the day being paranoid." Then after the meeting is over, he'll track Tsuna down and demand to know what the secret is, because even after all this time, he still hates being left in the dark where secrets are concerned.

"So, while we're all here, there is one last matter that needs to be brought to the table. Or rather, an announcement." Tsuna settles back in his seat, and smiles. "My coronation. Or rather my _actual_ coronation now. Timoteo's promised it'll be done before the end of next month, so I do hope to see you all there."

"Oh thank god."

"At _last."_

"Sweetheart," Dino says, slumping in his chair. "How in the name of God has it taken that man _so_ long to crown you? You're literally the only Sky heading this Alliance meeting anymore. Hell, you're the only one the _Varia_ listen to."

"Not to mention you're the one everyone greets first at the parties, balls, and little meetings you throw over the years," Enma adds.

"You're the first to be kissed and greeted when people see you on the street."

"You're the one the children look for when we tell them we're visiting Vongola."

Tsuna listens and smiles. "Because, in Timoteo's words, 'old habits die hard'."

Loud groans are his reply to that. "Are you serious? He's using _that_ old excuse?" Dino demands. "My old man used that excuse, and he's _dead._ What the hell-"

"It's alright now," Tsuna assures. "We're getting it handled. If I'm not crowned by the end of next month, I'll take the Family by force. But either way, Vongola is mine now, and I don't intend to cower away from my responsibilities or neglect my people. So, that being said, if any of you have concerns-"

"We don't!"

"Tsuna, no-"

"You're fine-"

"-perfect Sky-"

"-nobody like you-"

And on and on it went, until at last Tsuna has to raise his hands, laughing, cheeks red from the praise. "Good to know I'm doing so well," he says.

"Tsuna," Dino says in exasperation, "If you weren't, you'd know. Trust me on this."

Well, that's good at least. He hums and leans back in his chair. "Alright then. Any other news?" When everyone shakes their heads, he nods. "Then let's call today a done deal and head back to our Families. I'll see you all at the next meeting. Try not to get into too much trouble before then."

"Yes Boss!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

It's the middle of the night again when Tsuna wakes up, his Flames humming beneath his skin as the sensation of _another_ Sky stalking towards his office comes to him. Yawning, he slides out from underneath the sprawling pile of Guardians he has on him, checks to make sure everyone is still asleep, and then tiptoes from the room, closing the door between his office behind him.

He finds Xanxus waiting for him, positively glowing with a combination of exhaustion and pride. "Did it," he says shortly as he sets down a list of names. "Every last one of them. Had Mammon double and triple check. No survivors."

"Magnificent," he whispers, picking up the list. He tucks the list into a drawer, and then crosses the room to stand in front of Xanxus, gently easing him down onto the couch before straddling his lap. In between one breath and the next his Flames ignite, and he presses them to Xanxus' chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath. Xanxus arcs against him, pressing back, silently demanding more.

And so Tsuna gives him more, letting tendrils of his Will creep into the equation and wrap themselves around Xanxus' Wrath, pulling them tight. Xanxus shudders, letting his head fall back as his eyes go half-lidded. He doesn't fight as Tsuna licks and nibbles at the column of his throat, instead sinking deeper into Tsuna's grip.

"You've done so much for me, Xanxus. Given so much. And I'm so happy to call you mine, so proud of you."

Xanxus shudders hard beneath him, the praise only working to make him that much more excited. Tsuna can feel his arousal now, and he's starting to feel a little eager himself. It isn't rare for him to interact with Reborn or his Guardians or even Dino in this manner, but Xanxus is slippery and only allows himself to be held when it suits him. So Tsuna has to work hard to make these few moments worth it, make him _want_ to come back for more.

"Do you want this?" he asks, peppering more kisses across Xanxus' collarbone and across his shoulders.

"Yes," the man breathes. "Hurry."

And that's all the permission he needs. "As you wish my own." He lays one final kiss across Xanxus' mouth, and then starts to shuck his clothes. He's got a long night ahead of him, and a longer day, but for the life of him he can't bring himself to regret it.

So he gives himself over to Xanxus, takes the man apart in pieces and puts him back together. By the time he's done, the sun is starting to creep up across the horizon, which means it won't be long until his Guardians wake. They both pull their pants back on, Xanxus yawning as he collapses back onto the couch and closes his eyes, feeling safe enough to sleep. Tsuna kicks the trash can with the tied-off condoms under his desk again, and then plants himself sideways in Xanxus' lap, petting the man's hair as he watches the sun rise and waits for his Guardians to wake.

It's looking to be another beautiful day. He can't wait to see what it brings him.


End file.
